1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a process for clarifying waters and wastewaters and removing organic and inorganic contaminants from the waters and wastewaters. Aluminum polymers, such as poly-aluminum hydroxychloride, poly-aluminum chloride and poly-aluminum siloxane sulfate, are combined with newly formulated high molecular weight quaternized polymers, such as di-allyl di-methyl ammonium chloride (DADMAC), to significantly improve liquid-solid separation in waters and wastewaters. This combination is further enhanced by blending the aluminum polymer with an aluminum salt. The DADMAC polymer is enhanced by blending with polymers of epichlorohydrin di-methyl amine (Epi-DMA) and/or with low molecular weight DADMAC polymers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the problem of cleaning waters and disposing wastewaters has become more acute due to increasing population and increasing industrial activity. (The term "raw waters", which is used in the industry and is the technical term for describing waste-containing waters, is used hereafter to refer to any water that requires treatment, including for example industrial, agricultural, domestic and potable water.) Numerous solutions have been developed for treating raw waters. Separation of solids from liquids has been practiced for hundreds of years. However, various new processes, devices and materials have been suggested during the past decades for separation of solids from liquids.
Some patents that have been issued in an attempt to solve water treatment problems are focused on chemical treatment of raw waters. However, such patents are mostly specialized and particularly protect a limited area. For example, a few patents are solely oriented towards removal of organic (but not inorganic) contaminants from water. (Pohl, U.S. Pat. No. 5,262,059, issued on Nov. 16, 1993, patents a method of removing organic contaminants from raw waters that contain an undesired liquid organic contaminant such as an organic solvent. Box, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,399, issued on May 19, 1981, patent a process for purification of organically polluted water using a zinc titanate catalyst under oxidizing conditions. McCarthy et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,264, issued on Sep. 19, 1978, patent a method of purifying organically polluted water containing negligible amounts of alkali metal by contacting the polluted water with an oxygen-containing gas and a catalyst effective to promote such liquid phase oxidation. Box, Jr. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,088, issued on Jul. 9, 1974, patent a method of purifying organically polluted water by contacting the polluted water with a catalyst comprising zinc aluminate promoted with at least one metal active for initiating oxidative reactions in the liquid or gaseous phase under oxidizing conditions. Hassick, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,746,457, issued on May 24, 1988, patents the use of aluminum chloride/water soluble cationic polymer compositions having inorganic:polymer activity ratios of at least 5:1 and preferably 10:1 to 100:1. Hassick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,039, issued on Jan. 24, 1989, patents the use of aluminum chlorohydrate/water soluble cationic polymer compositions having inorganic:polymer ratios of at least 5:1 and preferably 20:1 for clarifying low turbidity waters. Kvant et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,094, issued on Jan. 26, 1993, patents a process for the preparation of polyaluminum hydroxide complexes using aluminum compounds. Ritter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,703, issued on Dec. 12, 1995, patents a method for clarifying bodies of water and eliminating algal bloom caused by planktonic algae using a flocculating agent prepared in an aqueous solution containing a combination of monomeric or polymeric aluminum salts and a polybasic carboxylic acid.)
The above-listed patents and many other similar inventions have been developed, some of which still exist in the market. Although many different issues have been solved by previously- and presently-existing purification and clarification processes and materials, there still remains room for improvement in the area of clarification of raw waters for industrial and municipal purposes. There remains a need for improved materials and processes for separation of solids from raw waters.